The topic on pa. hunters wearing orange brought to mind a safety issue with bow hunting and bird hunting on the same lands. I hunt grouse during the archery season for deer in Michigan. I go during the hours deer hunters usually are out of the woods and on off days, like weekdays when I wont disturb bowhunters. I wish bowhunters on public land would wear a small amount of orange so I can see them. I don't want to shoot at a grouse and hit somebody. I have had deer, even big ones, not see me while I am wearing orange.
I bow hunt, and do wear a small amount of orange.

Arty,

I appreciate that we must all share the woods, and I really wouldn't loose a lot of sleep if I had to post a band of orange around the base of a tree while I was bowhunting, but I also hope you remember one of the basic rules of firearms safety - know your target and what's beyond.

Blaze orange law or not, your lawsuit questioning might go like this:
1. Did you know it was bowhunting season?
2. Do you know that bowhunters hunt in treestands?
3. Did you make sure that you were shooting in a safe direction?
4. Why did you shoot if it was not safe to do so?

I myself believe that the orange issue may be a good idea for those who choose to archery hunt on public land that gets alot of hunting pressure,but why would someone want to archery hunt where there are people roaming around the area they hunt,that makes the deer change there patterns and may even spook that big buck that you spent so much time scouting and preparing for the archery season only to be spoiled by someone who tramps through the woods with only his hunt on his mind and could care less about anyone else.this is why public land gets a bad wrap,do to single minded people that think they can go where they damn well please,If my memory is correct I dont ever remember not 1 incedent where an archer was shot by accident by a firearm when the seasons overlap here in PA,not that it cant happin,but I dont think putting orange around your stand will do much,due to the fact that the public lands are litterd with orange ribbon on trees that was not removed by the hunters to either mark the way to there stand or there stand itself,and after a while this orange will not be so effective because there will always be the guy that leaves it on the tree to secure his spot,and some hunter will take for granted that the hunter is not in his stand and pay no mind to it,thats why I hunt private land.and dont have these problems.

Sometimes we have to share the areas, because the seasons overlap. I am not talking much orange, and certainly not to be mandated. It is hard to see the hunters in the trees. if I see orange, I can avoid the area. during grouse season, I spend more time looking in the trees for bowhunters than on the ground for grouse.